SIGNS SIGNAL VALUE
Signage must be functional, to be sure. Signs inform and direct us. That’s what they’re there for. Good wayfinding and clear regulatory signage promote ease of mobility and safety. These, in turn, support quality of life. But signage also signals. Beyond their utility, the design, style, and condition of signs broadcast a sense of the place and the people in it. Signs signal values.
Signs affect perceptions in ways that matter. Signage tells you what the place thinks of you. What it thinks of itself. Signage that‘s shabby, outdated, or dull is like clothing with those properties. It signals that pride in place is lacking. Likewise, respect for visitors. “We don’t think much of ourselves, and don’t much care what you think of us”. Moreover, “we don’t care what you think of us, since we don’t think much of you.” A city that sends this kind of message surely isn’t helping its image. Signage like that signals decline.
WELCOME TO OUR TOWN
Property values in any city are inarguably affected by the town’s overall appearance. Real estate dealings reflect premiums and discounts related to this subjective factor. Take town welcome signs, for example. A monument sign built many years ago may read as written, but signals. “Welcome to 1960”. When a house cost the dollars we pay today for a luxury SUV. The same holds for a city’s wayfinding and regulatory signage. Old-and-worn implies lower prices. In the same fashion, the converse is true. Without a doubt, signs signal value.
SIGNS SIGNAL VALUE
Some of South Florida’s most upscale cities are stellar examples. Aventura, in Miami-Date, engaged GraphPlex to create monument signage for principal road entries to the city. The signage’s themes of grandeur and modernity reflect and affirm the community’s sense of self-worth and confidence. Nearby Sunny Isles Beach and Bay Harbor Islands also called on GraphPlex, for custom monument and wayfinding signs. The area boasts a global reputation for upmarket value and quality. The GraphPlex signage comports with it perfectly.
GraphPlex has adorned the Broward city of Weston with logo signage for public spaces and buildings that impart a stately dignity to this young (1996) community. Weston’s been there only for 23 years. Her signage signals emphatically that she’s here to stay and to prosper.
South Florida’s forward-thinking leaders know the influence of signage on community pride, convenience, and safety. Quality signage is both an effect and a cause of solid property values. Signage undeniably sends signals. It’s well worth taking care to signal value.